Experts in gastroenterology have discovered a healthy technique to help prevent a common chronic condition.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease affects one in every four Americans, according to the Cleveland Clinic, and it's the world's most common form of chronic liver disease, according to a new study. What's the good news? According to the same survey, one key to preventing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease could be found right in your coffee cup. Here's another reason to celebrate your favorite beverage.
Continue reading to discover why a group of liver doctors thinks coffee could help prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
The causes of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease are explained.
Simply put, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease occurs when an individual consumes too much fat for the body to process, causing excess fat to accumulate in liver cells.
According to the Cleveland Clinic's blog, people who are overweight, diabetic, or have high cholesterol are more likely to get this disease.
A new study looked into coffee's "anti-fibrotic" properties.
A team of researchers from Canada's University of Alberta hospital's Division of Gastroenterology & Liver Unit recognized the antioxidant capabilities in coffee and some of its other benefits for this study, which was just published in the journal Nutrients.
They speculated that coffee could lessen the likelihood of molecular-level scarring in the liver, leading to fatty liver disease, cirrhosis, or even death in severe cases.
The researchers conducted a detailed investigation.
The researchers looked at a total of 20 studies published between 2010 and January 2021.
More than 105,000 people took part in the trials that looked at the impact of food, specifically coffee, on the liver.
Coffee consumption demonstrated an effect on liver health.
"Coffee consumption was significantly associated with a 35 percent decreased odds of significant liver fibrosis," the researchers concluded, adding, "This meta-analysis supports the protective role of coffee consumption on significant liver fibrosis in patients with [non-alcoholic fatty liver disease]."